IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Riverside is negotiating an agreement that would bring an all-electric vehicle manufacturer’s international headquarters to the city.
The city council voted 6-1 Sept. 5 to pursue talks with Ohmio in New Zealand, which recently completed a pilot program at JFK International Airport, according to a statement on Riverside’s website.
Ohmio wants to locate a 40,000-square-foot building on Mount Vernon Avenue in Hunter Industrial Park. That site would be home to its research and development team and would be used for vehicle tests.
If an agreement is reached, the company plans to designate Riverside as its point of sale, which would bring sales tax revenue to the city.
“Autonomous vehicles show great promise in augmenting our existing transit systems by plugging the ‘last mile’ hole that sometimes exists between an existing transit option and a person’s final destination,” said Mayor Pro Tem Erin Edwards in the statement. “These vehicles can be the key to allowing us to experience our city by bus, bicycle, or on foot.”
Riverside could spend up to $2.5 million to bring Ohmio to Riverside, according to the statement.
